Nura Magazine shoot

I had a beautiful time working with Miss DC Intercontinental for the cover of unreleased NURA Magazine. Yashvi was my first Indian woman I have ever worked with and I am in love! Her skin was like better not to mention the rich hues of her skin were a golden brown. She had the prettiest features l, including her captivating almond shaped eyes. For the shoot we went with very natural skin and a some what dramatic eye and voluminous lashes. 

My view for the day: 

       

A Beautiful Spring Wedding

I loved working with this beautiful bride and her gorgeous bridal party. 

They may look like photographs, but they are moments. Moments that will last forever, and in these moments she is the only person in the room who matters.

Engagement photos: Megan & Ronnie

I had the pleasure of glamming and beautiful bride to be for her engagement photos! The photographer did an awesome job!! 

Princess Diaries

Meet Donisha! She had a princess themed party so she wanted something very feminine with a touch of pink and glitter. 

Product list:

Brows:

 strut eye pencil by MAC 

Girl boy brow gel by MAC 

Eyes: 

Rubenesque paint pot MAC 

Gold pigment by INGLOT 

Melon pigment by MAC 

Crease: 

embark MAC

Pink shadow by morphe brushes 

Outer crease: 

shadowy lady by MAC

Sketch by MAC

Foundation: 

Matchmaster 7

Highlight: graftobian palette and MAC studio finish concealer 

I set her highlight with banana powder 

I set her foundation with MAC MSF dark, her contour is sun power MSF 

Lashes are creme lashes (don't remember the number ) 

Lips: 

Lovelorn lipstick by MAC

Never lip liner by NYX 

Engagement photos!!

Engagement Party Glam

I was so happy to have the chance to work with bride-to-be Denea again! This time I got her ready for her engagement party. She has the most amazing eye shape and bone structure, so it's a pleasure working on her! 

I was sure not to use too much color on the lid or lip because she was wearing a hot red dress! However, Denea likes and exaggerated highlight and contour so I did just that! 

Products used : 

Primer: no. 7 matte primer mixed with hourglass veil 

Foundation: Matchmaster 7.5

Brows: spiked brow pencil

Highlight: Bobbi brown foundation stick and graftobian foundation palette

Contour: black opal foundation stick and ebony bronze bronzer (cover girl) 

Eyes: crease/saddle, red brick, embark

Lid/ inglot pigment 65, la splash glitter renaissance

Lash line:designer purple eye khol by MAC

Lashes: creme lash #46

Lips: cocktail of MAC and occ lip tar

Blush: coral sleek blush 

Smoke and sparkle

I loved this look on future bride Denea. We had a glam session in preparation for her engagement photoshoot.. All products listed below

Eyes: 

Groundwork paint pot - MAC 

Saddle e/s - MAC 

embark e/s - MAC 

Carbon e/s - MAC 

Shadowy lady e/s - MAC 

Mayballine infalliable shadow (Java)

Inglot pigment #22 

Wet n' wild glitter 

Black trax gel liner- MAC 

Face: 

Matchmaster 7.0

Graftobian foundation palette

La girl HD concealer 

MIneralize Skinfinish dark 

Cover girl bronzer- ebony bronze 

MAC sheer loose powder nc40 

Lashes: cream lashes 

Lips: a mixture of several lipsticks and revlon lipgloss. 

Super Bowl Sunday - Birthday Glam with Kesha

For this look I kept it soft as I usually do, to give her a very polished look for her birthday and Super Bowl party. 

Product listing:

Brows- spiked MAC

Brow bone highlight- graftobian palette

Eyes- saddle e/s, red brick e/s, melon pigment, reflects gold glitter all MAC 

Liner: black tracks by MAC

Lashes: ice lashes

Lash line: expresso LORAC and #59 e/s by Morphe 

Foundation: 6.0 Matchmaster 

Under eye highlight: graftobian palette

Set: Ben Nye powder palette

Contour: sunpower MAC 

Blush: #39 e/a by morphe 

Highlight on cheek bones: perfectly poised MSF (MAC limited ed.) 

Lips: liner- nude truffle and peekaboo neutral by NYX ... Peachstock l/s MAC and NYX crystal soda lip gloss 

Nose contour: saddle e/s MAC 

Enjoy 

Xoxo

Beyoncé concert!

I got my fav girl ready for the Beyoncé concert today! She wanted a smokey eye, very little highlighting and natural skin. Product listing below...

Prep and prime: I prepped the skin with a gel moisturizer and sephora oil free primer 

Brows: spiked brow pencil, girl boy and show off brow gel (MAC)

Shadow: Lorac pro palette expresso on the lid, red brick by MAC in the crease along with saddle e/s ...the eye looks black because of the flash, but the lid is actually dark brown ... Placed a chocolate brown in the lash line and smudged it with NYX black liner and pencil brush by MAC

Lashes: creme lashes 

Foundation: Matchmaster 5.0 and 6.0 

Powder: set the foundation with med dark MSF by MAC 

Under eye highlight: graftobian palette and banana powder 

Cheek: peach tone from sleek cosmetics 

Contour: dark MSF by MAC

Cheek highlight: whisper of guilt by MAC

Lips: sait Germaine lipgloss by MAC

Enjoy! 

XOXO

A little shimmer.

One of my favorite clients!! She is very supportive and she keeps me cracking up Everytime I do her makeup. Love my Jen. 

I used old gold pigment on her lid with and orange-brown crease and I made her brow bone more prominent with a highlight in the peak of the brow. Jen likes the light flesh tone liner which we also did. Her lip is a clean flesh tone pink with a little liner . Her cheeks were bronzed with sun power MSF by MAC. 

I absolutely love doing this particular client because I am able to do whatever I'm feeling at the moment and she completely trusts me and my work. Plus her skin is so smooth (an artists dream)

Product Review: Graftobian HD Glamour Foundation palette (warm)

I've had many questions about what I use to highlight... Lately I've been reaching for what used to be my go to foundation. I first purchased this product after thorough research while I was building my kit in 2010 and 2011. I don't use it as much on most clients because it is very moisturizing and it's not ideal for clients with oily skin. However, I still would suggest this palette for any artist for the following reasons:

-full coverage

-easy to blend

-photographs well

-priced well

-easy to mix shades

-easy to match client's skin tones (I haven't had a client that I couldn't match with his foundation)

-lightweight

-moisturizing 

-little product needed

I still use this palette for photoshoot and clients with dry skin, but more recently it's my go to product for a perfect, lightweight highlight or contour....simply because this product photographs extremely well. I would suggest using a good setting powder or it will crease. 

This product can be purchased at:

Makeupmania.com

Graftobian.com

Camerareadycosmetics.com

40 and Fab!

I had the pleasure of glamming up my coworker and former Mrs. Maryland for 40th birthday bash. 

Her crease is a mix of red brick, and another burgundy shadow. The lid is a pink and copper. She was wearing a black and white striped dress so we wanted the makeup to be young and flirty with a dash of sparkle. The copper tones compliment her highlights. She absolutely loved her makeup!

Mrs. Cole (cont'd)

(Please excuse the spots on the photo, the computer distorted the picture)

I absolutely love when my brides send me their professional photos. A huge part of being a makeup artist is how well your work photographs. 

West VA bride

I had such a great time during my client's consultation... I truly look forward to her wedding day, she will look stunning... 

Details on this look:

Primer- hourglass

Eyes- embark, red brick, expresso ( a good mix of oranges and browns with a red base) the lid color is by inglot (forgot the name) all other shadows are MAC

Eyeliner- black trax

Lash line- reddish brown shadow

Waterline- chroma graphic pencil 

Foundation- 6.0 Matchmaster 

Highlight- graftobian foundation palette

Powder- MAC MSF medium dark

Contour - MAC MSF dark

Cheek- MAC mineralized blush rosy pink shade (can't remember the exact color name) 

Cheek highlight: whisper of guilt by MAC

Lip: all MAC lipsticks (I always mix lipstick for a custom shade to match each client's skin tone)

Lip liner: never by NYX, NYX gloss

Lashes: $2 lashes from a local beauty supply

Lower lashes: benefit they're real mascara 

ENJOY!

Smokey eye

One of my faithful clients requested a smokey eye. So I used a grey shadow on her lid, a soft brown and an orange in her crease. Last I smoldered her eyeliner instead of using a gel liner I smudged a black liner. On her lash line I smudged a dark brown and burnt orange to give it a softer look. We used sunpower to bronze her skin and a coral occ liptar. 

Mrs. Cole

Sometimes as an artist you find a special connection with select clients. Although I have a connection with every bride I work with, This bride was very special. She has a personality and a smile that can light up any room. Her Husban is a very lucky man! 

Her wedding had a Fall theme and the attendants wore really dainty knee length purple dresses. I had a wonderful time working with each and eavery one of them. 

Shannon (the bride to be) wanted the same look we did for her trial a few months ago. 

Prep: Garnier gel moistureizer 

          All nighter spray (urban decay)

           Hourglass primer

Brow: spiked (MAC)

           Show off (MAC)

            Nw40 concealer 

Eyes: coppering (MAC)

          Copper reflects glitter 

           Shadowy lady 

            Carbon

             Black tracks gel liner 

Face: Matchmaster 7.5 (MAC)

          Black opal finishing powder

           Blunt blush (contour)

           Warm soul (blush) (MAC) 

            Loose powder in iridescent (mac)

Lips: mixture of lipsticks from the MAC lip palette. 

I finishes her off with a mist of Ben bye matte finishing spray 

I also had the pleasure of enhancing some of her bridal party. 

The Perfect Fall Wedding

Bride: Danielle Moye, Conneticut

I had the pleasure of traveling to CT for a very special bride. Her and her beautiful wedding party made my job easy. It was a long day of makeup and photography... But it was the perfect fall day for this fall themed wedding. For the bridesmaids we used plums and purples, and a peach lip. The bride had a golden glow to compliment the burnt orange and brown trends of her bouquet. On her lid I used groundwork paint pot, copper pigment, embark, red brick, shadowy lady, and carbon all by MAC. Her foundation is MAC Matchmaster, and studio finish concealer. We have her a bronzed glow using double definition limited edition highlighter. Her lip is a mauve gloss and plum liner.

Classic bride.

This bride wore a very classic look for her rustic wedding. Her dress was to die for! 

I had an amazing time doing her and her grandmother's makeup.

New Client Alert!

My client was going to a few events today and wanted a nice face that would last all day. I primed her face with UD setting spray, Garnier gel moisturizer, and hourglass primer. For her foundation I used Matchmaster by MAC. Her under eye highlight is Mac concealer palette and her lips are lined in BBQ and half n' half l/s all by Mac with a peach revlon gloss over top. I was in love with this look.